Christmas Secret
by ninjanervana
Summary: When Lily thinks she's pregnant, Sirius is the first person to find out. How will Sirius help Lily through this tough time and how will she break the news to James? How will he handle the news? Takes place during their 7th year. Lily/James romance, Lily/Sirius friendship. Now with added angst!
1. Chapter 1

Hello readers! I've been on a Jily reading spree and this idea popped into my head so I had to write it down. This story will probably only be 3 or 4 chapters long so I hope you enjoy it. I don't own anything, quite obviously. Happy reading!

-Ninjanervana

* * *

Sirius flopped around in his bed, sighing as he stared up at the ceiling. It was after two in the morning; he should be asleep like his fellow Marauders, but he wasn't. Instead he was wide-awake, trying to fight a nicotine craving that was driving him up the bloody wall. Shoving his hand through his long black hair, he sat up, pushing his blanket off of him. A shiver ran through him, goosebumps forming on his skin as the cold air hit him. The castle was always a bit drafty, but with it being the start of Christmas holidays and winter having fully settled in, it was chillier than he would have liked. The dorms were quieter than usual with only the four of them in the room. He would have appreciated it if he could actually fall asleep.

Grabbing his wand off his bedside table, he lit it before reaching for the Map. _'A quick cigarette run couldn't hurt,'_ he thought as he opened the Map. His eyes quickly scanning the parchment for his favorite smoking spots, he frowned as his eyes landed on the Astronomy Tower. What, in Merlin's name, was Lily Evans doing alone in the middle of the night in the Astronomy Tower?

Climbing out of bed, he tugged on his boots and cloak before heading out of the dorm. It took him a few minutes to make it to the Tower, trying not to wake any of the portraits with his light. The castle was nearly empty for the holidays, but there was no reason to draw unnecessary attention to himself. He took the stairs two at a time, the cold air gusting down the passage to meet him.

Sirius wasn't sure what he expected to find when he finally got to Lily, but he did not expect to find her crouched in a corner, sobbing as if her life was ending. His heart broke as he watched the red-haired girl. Sure, she was his best mate's girl−that alone would have been enough for him to at least wake someone to check on her−but she was his friend too, an honorary Marauder. She was one of the few people he considered precious to him and she looked as if her heart was breaking. Taking a step forward, he pulled his cloak around himself tightly. "Lily?" he called worriedly.

Her head shot up at the sound of his voice as she quickly scrambled to her feet. She hastily swiped at her cheeks, but her red eyes and the tear stains on her cheeks gave her away. "Sirius, what are you doing up here?" she croaked.

"Came up for a smoke," he answered as he walked over to her slowly, as if she was a frightened animal who might bolt at the slightest sound. "Why are you up here? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied quickly, giving him a weak smile. "I just needed some air."

"Ah yes, I, too, leave the warmth of an empty dorm room to go to the top of the Astronomy Tower to sob by myself on Christmas Eve morning," he retorted sarcastically. "Come off it, Lil."

"What do you care, Black?" Lily snapped, shoving her red hair out of her face.

Sirius winced internally at her tone; if she was lashing out at him for no reason, things had to be bad. He'd been on the receiving end of many of her tongue-lashings, but she knew she always had a reason for them, usually a good one though he would never admit it to her. He took another step forward, closing the distance between them. "Black? I thought we got past that. Come on, Lily; we're mates. You're obviously upset and I'm not going to leave you alone like this," he said firmly before softening his tone. "You know you can trust me, right?"

Lily nodded, her green eyes filling with tears as she looked up at him. Her bottom lip quivered as her entire body began to tremble, barely able to contain her emotions. "Padfoot, I'm so scared," she choked out, her eyes wide with terror.

Sirius didn't know what was wrong, what had her so absolutely terrified, but he knew he couldn't stand the fear that shone in her eyes. He did the only thing he could do for her at the moment. He hugged her.

The moment his arms wrapped around her, Lily broke down, sobs racking her body as her tears soaked the front of his cloak.

"It's okay, it's okay, I'm here," he murmured, stroking her hair. He knew he was in way over his head. Remus was always the best one when they need someone to give advice and handle emotions, Peter was always willing to listen to your problems, James was always the one to go to for an encouraging speech. He, on the other hand, was good for a joke or prank. Crying women were not his area of expertise. But he loved Lily like she was his sister; he had to do _something_.

"James is going to hate me," Lily cried, her words half muffled between them. Her words startled a bark of laughter from him, causing her to look up at him, her tears momentarily forgotten.

"Lily Evans, you're supposed to be the brightest witch of our year. How can you say something so stupid? There is nothing you can do, _nothing_ , that will make James Potter stop loving you," Sirius said confidently.

"Sirius, I'm pregnant," Lily blurted out.

Well didn't that just shut him up.

* * *

Sirius really wanted a cigarette. Desperately. After calming Lily down and getting past his own shock, he sat them down on the stone floor, their backs leaning against the wall. His mind was spilling with all the implications of Lily's words and it wasn't even his bloody kid! It was no wonder she was up here sobbing her eyes out; it was a terrifying thought. _'Merlin, a baby,'_ Sirius thought numbly. _'James and Lily are having a baby.'_ "Are you sure?" he asked gently. "I mean, couldn't you just be…late?"

Lily nodded, pulling her knees up to her chest. "My body normally runs like clockwork," she murmured. "And it's completely missed its timeframe."

He sighed heavily, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to pull her against his side. "You have to tell James; he'd want to know. He needs to know."

"How am I supposed to tell him?" she asked desperately. "God, I finally start dating the bloke and I ruin it all."

"You haven't ruined anything," he retorted.

"Oh yeah, what do you call getting pregnant at seventeen then?" Lily snarked.

"An accident," Sirius said firmly. "Things happen sometimes."

Lily shook her head. "Happy Christmas, James; we're having a baby," she choked out, tears filling her eyes again.

"Do you want me to help you tell him?" Sirius offered, rubbing her arms soothingly.

"I don't know," she sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I have to figure out how to tell him first."

Sirius nodded in understanding. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me," he replied. "Come on, we should head inside; it's too cold out here." He got to his feet, taking Lily's hand to haul her up.

"Sirius," Lily said quietly as she stood. "Sirius, please don't tell James. I…I have to tell him."

He nodded easily, "Don't worry, Lil. I won't say a word to him." He tugged her arm gently, guiding her to the staircase. "Come on, you're dead on your feet. You need some sleep."

* * *

The walk back to Gryffindor Tower was quick and silent except for their quiet footsteps. Soon Sirius was tumbling into his bed, much to his relief, and toeing off his shoes.

"Pads?" James mumbled sleepily, awoken by Sirius's entrance. "Alright there?"

"Yeah Prongs, just went for a smoke," he replied softly. The only response Sirius received was a soft snore from James _. 'James, you're going to be a father,'_ he thought as he stared up at the ceiling, his arms folded beneath his head. _'And I never got my bloody cigarette.'_

* * *

Reviews please!


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry it's taken me so long to update!

* * *

Sirius groaned as he was woken by the sounds of his best friends, pulling a pillow over his head. _'How the blood hell do they have so much energy so early in the morning?'_ he thought miserably. _'Of course none of them had spent the night with their head filled with babies and crying women so they probably had a wonderful sleep. Lucky bastards.'_

"Get up, Padfoot; it's time for breakfast," James called cheerfully as he pulled open the bed curtains.

"Sod off," he mumbled, rolling away from the bright sunlight. "Too early."

"It's quarter past ten," Remus replied from his bed.

"Exactly; too early to be awake," Sirius replied.

"What's got his wand in a knot?" Remus yawned as he shuffled to the bathroom, the door shutting quietly behind him.

"Some of us didn't sleep as much as others," he grumbled, covering his head with his blanket. Maybe if he stayed quiet enough, they would all go to breakfast without him and he could finally get some rest.

James snorted lightly as he began to dress. "That'll teach you to get up in the middle of the night for a smoke."

Sirius grabbed one of his pillows, throwing it in the direction of James's voice and hoping he hit him. "I couldn't sleep last night. Why don't you go harass Wormy? I haven't heard him; go wake him."

"Already up," Peter replied with a grin as he watched James and Sirius's antics. "Come on, you can't spend all Christmas Eve in bed."

James tugged at the end of Sirius's blanket. "We'll all leave you and go have breakfast with Lily if you won't move your lazy arse."

The mention of Lily woke him up more than any plea or threat from his friends, flashes of the crying girl popping up behind his closed eyes. As much as he wanted to stay in bed and sleep, he did promise that he would be there for her; that probably included showing up to breakfast. If he had a rough night, Merlin only knew how Lily was feeling.

With a sigh, he flopped onto his back, staring at James as he grinned triumphantly. "You," Sirius said, pointing at his friend, "I don't like you. As a matter of fact, I don't like any of you gits anymore. You're all horrible friends."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can start your search for new best friends after breakfast," Remus replied easily, used to Sirius's dramatics after so many a grumble, Sirius climbed out of bed, heading to the bathroom.

* * *

Within minutes, the four boys were clambering down the stairs to the common room, their voices echoing off the stonewalls. "Morning Lil," James greeted his girlfriend, a smile spreading across his face.

Lily leaned against the back of the couch, her arms folded across her chest as she started at the wall in front of her, her face expressionless. She smiled as she spotted the boys, her stiff posture relaxing. Sirius frowned slightly as he took in the dark circles beneath her eyes and her paler than usual skin; she looked like she slept as well as he had. She looked like someone who was contemplating a bleak future far too soon and needed a laugh. Luckily, he was an expert at that.

"Lilyflower," Sirius called, shoving past James to get to her first. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he sighed dramatically. "You're the only one who loves me anymore."

She laughed softly, patting his cheek as he leaned his head against her shoulder. "What have you guys done to poor Padfoot?"

"Poor Padfoot, my arse," Peter muttered as he rolled his eyes.

"They have treated me with the utmost cruelty," Sirius wailed. "To think I called these blokes my best mates."

Remus snorted in amusement as he headed for the portrait hole, Peter following behind him. "We woke this git for breakfast and he's been moaning ever since."

"Usually he's the one moaning that he's dying of starvation," Peter commented.

Sirius raised his head, glaring at his two friends as they smiled innocently.

"I think you're being a tad bit dramatic about the situation, Sirius," Lily chuckled.

"But Lily−," he whined as James shoved him playfully, dislodging his arm from Lily's shoulders.

"And you'd do well to keep your paws off my girlfriend, mate," James said with a broad grin, leading them out of the common room.

"A bit possessive, aren't we, Potter?" Lily teased, her green eyes sparkling with amusement.

"It took me years to get you to go out with me. Like hell I'm gonna let that charming bastard steal you away," James laughed before kissing her.

Sirius nearly sighed in relief as he watched the pair, a small smile on his lips. His best friend, his brother really, was so blissfully happy, head over heels in love with a fantastic girl. And his best female friend looked just as happy, the worried look finally leaving her green eyes. Sure the two of them had a rough future ahead of them, but if anyone could make it work, it would be these two nutters. He would bet his fortune on them.

"Well he is right about me being charming, but I'd never interrupt the course of true love," Sirius said.

"True love?" Lily mused, smiling up at James.

Sirius nodded as they stepped out of the portrait hole and into the corridor. "If there's only one thing I know is true, it's that the two of you are meant to be. It's true love."

James smiled at Sirius before turning back to Lily. "You heard the man, it's true love," he murmured. "Who are we to argue with him?"

"Now come on, you lot dragged me out of bed; now I'm hungry," Sirius announced as he set off down the hall at a brisk pace. "I'm not spending all morning watching you two fawn over each other."

James laughed loudly, shaking his head. "Count on Padfoot to ruin a moment," he chuckled as he took Lily's hand in his. "Let's get some food, love."

* * *

Reviews please!


	3. Chapter 3

So I fully intended to write this chapter tomorrow, but I thought to myself, ninjanervana there's still time today, why not get a start on it? So I started the chapter and one thing led to another and here I am an hour later with a completed chapter and an achey wrist from typing this on my phone. I also worked out how I want this story to end. Now I just have to get all the parts between here and there figured out. Hope you all enjoy!

-Ninjanervana

P.S. I've written a James/Lily one-shot (Saturday Morning) and started another multi chapter James/Lily (Wedding Crashers). Be sure to check them out!

* * *

 _'This bird is gonna drive me mad before the holidays are out,'_ Sirius thought as he plopped on the couch in the common room, rubbing at his eyes tiredly before looking over at James. _'Not even my bloody girlfriend and I'm running around after the bird. Gonna give me grey hairs'_ Sirius couldn't help keeping a close eye on Lily as they all went through the day, wanting to make sure she was alright while waiting for her to break the news to James. There were only a handful of students staying at Hogwarts over Christmas holiday and only the five of them in Gryffindor, making it quite easy for him to watch over her.

At first glance, Lily seemed the same as usual, laughing and joking with everyone, her remarks just as quick and witty as always, a smile almost always on her lips. But Sirius had gotten to know her too well to believe the mask she put on; after all, he was the king of masks. She seemed to zone out of conversations, her green eyes distant as everyone talked around her; he had to prompt her more than once to draw her back into the talking, trying to distract her from her thoughts while not drawing attention to her. She laughed it off when James pointed out her distraction, blaming it on her lack of sleep. Poor excuse, but Sirius was sure James believed it...sort of.

Then she was acting a bit funny towards James, which Sirius knew his best mate picked up on. The bloke could be thick sometimes, but he wasn't stupid. Watching the pair of them together all day, he could see Lily torn between wanting to be by his side, where she looked a helluva lot happier and more relaxed than lately, and wanting to be as far away from James as she could get. Sirius was surprised James hadn't called Lily out on her strange behavior; half the day Lily looked like she was ready to bolt out of the room.

Despite Lily's warring comfort and discomfort, she had spent all Christmas Eve with the Marauders, eating, playing Exploding Snap and Wizard chess, even participating in their snowball fight. By ten o'clock, Lily had left the four of them in the common room before heading up to bed, claiming exhaustion after a busy day and a sleepless night. The boys carried on with their games for a few more hours before Remus and Peter left for bed, leaving Sirius with James.

As Sirius looked over at James, he couldn't help thinking now would be the perfect time to tell James about Lily's pregnancy. James was staring into the fire, his eyes unfocused, his expression relaxed. The common room was empty; most of Gryffindor Tower was empty so when he eventually started shouting, there wouldn't be too many people to wake. He knew there was a very real possibility James might faint, but he was already sitting down so that solved that problem. Even if he stood up, Sirius would be sure to catch him when he fainted; couldn't have the bloke injuring himself with a baby on the way. The only thing holding him back was his promise to Lily; he knew there was a very real chance of her hexing him to death if he broke his word. Then there was the chance that James might hex him for not telling him soon. _'How the bloody hell do I end up in these situations?'_ he wondered as he slumped further into his chair.

Before he could open his mouth to speak, James broke the silence between them. "I think Lily is going to break up with me," he said quietly, his gaze never leaving the fire.

Sirius sputtered in surprise, pushing himself upright in the chair he had claimed hours ago. "Wh-what?" he stuttered. "What the hell are you going on about?"

James looked over at him, his hazel eyes sad as his lips turned down in a frown. "I think she's going to break up with me. She's been acting funny all day."

 _'Well he's not wrong,'_ Sirius thought. "Just this morning you two were making those sickening puppy faces-"

"We were _not_ making puppy faces-"

"Had I eaten already I would have puked in the corridor," he shot back. "And you two were talking about true love-"

"You're the one who brought up true love," James retorted.

"And now you think she's going to break up with you? Are you mad?"

James sighed, running his hand through his messy hair. "It's just...she's been acting funny all day you know? Like she's ready to run off into the Forbidden Forest or something. If she doesn't want me around, she can just say so and I'll leave her alone," he replied dejectedly.

Sirius couldn't help snorting loudly at that remark, drawing a glare from James. "Mate, you didn't listen to her for the five years she told you to go away, remember?" he answered.

"You can't tell me she wasn't acting weird today," he pressed.

"Yeah but didn't she say she didn't sleep well? She certainly didn't look her best."

"Oye, that's my girlfriend you're talking about," James replied as he threw one of the couch pillows at Sirius.

He laughed as he caught the pillow, tucking it behind his head. "I'm just saying, maybe she's just having an off day. Remember that time in fourth year when Wormy stayed up all night doing his Transfiguration essay and tried to put his pants on backwards the next morning?"

James laughed loudly, nodding his head. "And you wanted to let the poor sod go to class like that."

"Maybe Lily's having a moment like that. After a good night's sleep, I'm sure she'll be fine," Sirius assured him. _'I hope.'_

"I hope so," James sighed, mussing the back of his hair nervously. "I really love her, you know? I don't wanna lose her now that I've got her."

"I know, mate. I can see it with the two of you," Sirius replied honestly as he stood. Yawning slightly, he held his hand out to James. "Come on, off to bed with you before you turn into a sentimental sap on me...well more of one."

"Git," he laughed as he took his friend's hand, letting Sirius haul him to his feet. He smiled at him before getting serious. "Thanks for listening, Padfoot."

Sirius slung his arm over James's shoulder, leading him to the staircase. "You know I'd do anything for you, Prongs," he replied. _'And I'm trying to.'_

James nodded, "Don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well lucky bastard that you are, you're going to be stuck with me for decades," Sirius replied confidently as they headed up to the boys dormitory. "Come on, I'm tired cause some gits woke me early this morning," he said, earning more laughter from his friend. _'I'm doing everything I can, Prongs, I promise.'_

* * *

Do I need to ask for reviews? Cause you guys know I will.


	4. Chapter 4

Sirius stretched his arms above his head as he woke, a soft yawn leaving his lips as his muscles relaxed. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so well; he was worried he would be in for another sleepless night of worry. He could hear his dorm mates shuffling around the room, greeting each other as they woke up and got dressed. He laid in bed for a moment, his eyes closed as he basked in the absolute perfection of the moment. Sirius knew it wouldn't be much longer before the boys came to wake him, but he wanted to enjoy the moment.

He was in a warm bed in his favorite place in the world-the Potter's home was a close second-, listening to the sounds of his best mates, his brothers really. Brothers by choice, which was so much stronger than blood. His family had already burned him off and he had run away from home, moved in with the Potters; why would he want to be related to a bunch of crazy blood supremacists. He'd rather be a filthy blood traitor any day, thank you very much. It was Christmas day, he had a small pile of thoughtful gifts resting on his bed and he was going to be spending the day with his favorite people, goofing off and eating more food than he probably should. What more could he possibly want?

A smile crossed his lips before the lads pulled open the bed curtains, allowing the bright sunlight in. "Happy Christmas!" the three screamed before jumping onto Sirius's bed, piling on top of him. _'This is home,'_ he thought as he laughed, trying to escape the pile.

* * *

The four Marauders made it down to the common room in record time, with Sirius whistling happily as he brought up the rear. _'Amazing what some sleep can do for you,'_ he thought cheerfully as he began whistling a muggle Christmas song one of the fifth year Gryffindor girls had been singing days before. Something about snow and mistletoe; he'd have to ask Lily or Remus about it later.

"Happy Christmas," Lily greeted them cheerfully from her seat near the fireplace, a wide smile stretching across her lips as she stood.

Sirius stopped short as he took in Lily's appearance, feeling as if he swallowed a brick. While he had slept like a baby, it was clear Lily hadn't gotten a wink of sleep despite going to bed earlier than them. The dark circles beneath her eyes were worse than before, looking like bruises against her pale skin. _'She's going to make herself sick,'_ he thought frustrated. _'As if she doesn't have enough to worry over.'_ He suddenly wished he had told James about Lily being pregnant last night; at least then he knew he had to take care of the woman since she wasn't doing such a great job.

The group returned her greeting with a chorus of their own, James punctuating his with a sound kiss.

"Hey, hey, none of that you two," Sirius teased, recovering from his earlier shock. "If you two get started, we'll never get down to breakfast."

James laughed, shoving Sirius gently as Lily blushed. "No one said you prats have to wait; go without us," he answered, kissing Lily again.

"Come on, James; Christmas is family time," Lily replied as she pulled away from him, taking his hand in hers. "And I'm hungry."

Sirius smiled as he watched Lily with James, watching the way his best mate lit up like a damn Christmas tree, the way Lily fully returned his love after so many years. She didn't look like she was in a rush to leave his side and James didn't look as worried about Lily breaking up with him. _'Took them long enough to get it together,'_ he thought. _'Now if she would just tell him and put me out of my misery, it'll be a happy Christmas for us all.'_

"You're my girlfriend; you're supposed to be on my side," James complained as he was tugged toward the portrait hole.

"She decided she wanted to be on the right side instead," Remus answered, making the group laugh.

"Bunch of traitors, the lot of you," he muttered as Lily led them along the empty corridor.

"Have you all opened your gifts yet?" Lily questioned.

Peter shook his head, "Decided to wait till after breakfast to open it together."

"Which means we need to move," Sirius added, hurrying them along the corridor. "I'm hungry and we have gifts waiting. Christmas waits for no one."

* * *

Sirius laid on the floor of the common room, flicking through a motorcycle book that Lily had gotten him. Overall, he considered Christmas to be success. They had stuffed themselves at breakfast, opened their gifts together in the common room-he would never tell her, but he was surprised at how good Lily was at picking out gifts for the Maraduers- and spent the entire day goofing off; they had even gone outside for a snowball fight during the afternoon. He looked over at Remus and Peter, both engaged in a serious game of wizard chess, before turning his head in the opposite direction to look at Lily and James. Lily had curled up on James's lap two hours ago before, promptly falling asleep with her Gryffindor blanket draped over her shoulders. Sirius could tell by the look of relief on James's face that he was worried over her too, though not for the same reasons. He had tried to give the pair as much privacy as possible while giving Lily several pointed looks, but she still hadn't said a word to James. _'At this point, she'll have the bloody baby before she tells the bloke,'_ he thought in annoyance.

As his stomach let out a growl, he tossed his book aside, sitting up. It was almost midnight, perfect time for a snack. Or an entire meal. Possibly both. "I'm hungry," Sirius declared. "Who wants to come to the kitchen?" he asked.

Peter winced as Remus's knight smashed his pawn. "I'll go with you. Moony?"

Remus nodded, yawning as he stood. "Sure why not? I could use some hot chocolate."

Sirius turned his attention to James, "What about you, Prongs? You going to come with us or not?"

James shook his head, stroking Lily's hair. "Nah, you go without me. I don't want to wake Lily up. Bring me back something, yeah?"

"What do I look like, your maid?" Sirius asked as he headed through the portrait hole.

"You haven't got the legs for it!" James called back.

* * *

The trip down to the kitchen was quick and productive, their arms laden with drinks and snacks as they headed back to Gryffindor Tower. The house elves were thrilled to see the Marauders in the kitchen; they had been coming there at least once a week since third year. They knew all their favorite foods by heart and usually kept some tucked away in case they paid a visit, something the boys appreciated immensely.

"Lily doesn't look too good, does she?" Peter commented as they walked along the empty hallway, munching on a slice of cake. "She looks like she hasn't slept in a week."

Sirius nodded in agreement, "Probably just stressed about NEWTS or James. Merlin knows the bloke has stressed her out enough over the past six years," he replied.

"You arse," Remus laughed, bumping his shoulder. "That's your best mate." "And we've watched him pine after her since we got on the train first year. He's been a pain in her arse," Sirius laughed. "Least she's getting some sleep now unless James woke her."

"Maybe we should ask her if she wants to sleep in the boys dormitory tonight," Remus suggested. "Girls dorm might be too lonely since she's the only one there."

"Maybe," he replied as he approached the Fat Lady's painting, giving her the password. He'd barely gotten into the common room before he stopped suddenly, causing Peter to run into his back.

Lily and James stood in the middle of the common room, tears streaming down Lily's face as James shoved his hands through his unruly black hair. They didn't seem to notice the arrival of the three boys, their eyes locked on each other. The Marauders had seen their fair share of fights between Lily and James, but Sirius couldn't ever remember seeing Lily cry over it. Hell, until two nights ago, Sirius had never seen Lily cry at all. Tears now could only mean bad news and bad reactions. _'Oh no,'_ Sirius thought, panicking as he watched the pair. _'Oh bloody hell.'_

"We should give them some privacy," Remus whispered as he grabbed the back of Sirius's shirt, trying to tug him toward the portrait hole.

"Lily, what are you talking about?" James exclaimed, his voice filled with anguish and frustration. "I don't understand why you're saying this."

Sirius could see Lily swallow hard, trying to choke back her own emotions. "I think we should break up," Lily replied quietly, her hands swiping at the tears on her cheeks.

"What?" Sirius said loudly, the food in his hands falling to the floor.

* * *

-dramatic music- Reviews please!


	5. Chapter 5

"What?" Sirius said loudly, the food in his hands falling to the floor. He didn't even register the sound of the plates and bottles clattering to the floor, his mind focused on replaying Lily's words. There was absolutely no way that he heard Lily properly. She was a bright witch; there was no way that she thought by breaking up with James that he would just leave her alone. The bloke spent six years after her, for Merlin's sake. Once James found out she was pregnant, all hell would break loose, even if they weren't together. And while Sirius liked to raise hell now and again, that was one disaster he'd rather prevent.

Lily and James quickly turned toward them, unaware of the trio's presence until then. Lily rubbed at her cheeks furiously, trying to hide her tears as she turned toward the fireplace, putting a few feet between her and James. James looked as if the ground had dropped out beneath him and he had no idea how to get his balance back, no way to get his bearings again.

"Mates," James began, his voice pained. He shoved his hand through his dark hair before pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Sirius had never seen James look so broken, so lost. He felt a flare of anger toward Lily for hurting his best mate this way; he understood why she did it, but he still thought it was a shit reason for breaking his heart. Sirius didn't tolerate anyone hurting his friends.

"Say no more, we're going," Remus answered immediately, grabbing Sirius's shirt and pulling him back a few steps. Count on Remus to do the socially proper thing. Peter was already holding open the portrait for them leave through, the food spilled on the floor forgotten. "We're gone."

Sirius pulled himself away from Remus's grip after a few steps, standing his ground. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, Evans?" he asked angrily, ignoring Remus's grip as it shifted to his arm. He saw Lily's shoulders tense at his words, but she didn't turn toward him, which made him even angrier. He promised to be by her side; the very least she could do was look at him. "Have you lost your goddamn mind?"

"Padfoot," Remus hissed, jerking him back a step. "Now is not the time. Let's give them some privacy."

"If I didn't think Evans was screwing up absolutely everything, then I would," Sirius shot back, pulling his arm away from Remus. He could feel his hands shaking with anger, unable to believe that she would just throw everything away with James and break his best mate's heart.

"Will you get out?" Lily said loudly, her voice shaking as she wrapped her arms around her torso. "Please."

James sighed loudly, rubbing a hand across his face. "Padfoot, please go. Give us a minute."

Sirius crossed the room in a few quick strides, moving to stand in front of Lily. She refused to meet his eyes, her gaze fixed on the logs in the fireplace. "Evans, what are you playing at? Do you really think this will solve anything?" he asked harshly. "You're smarter than that and you know James better than that." When she remained silent, he gripped her shoulder, shaking her gently. "Will you pay attention at least?"

"Oye, Padfoot!" James shouted as he shook Lily, taking a step toward the pair. "Enough!"

"Don't touch me!" Lily exclaimed as she pushed at Sirius's chest, barely forcing him back a step. His hands dropped to his sides, a deep frown on his lips. _'At least she's speaking,'_ he thought. She looked up at him, her green eyes flashing with anger and despair.

Sirius looked over at James before chuckling. "You break the poor bastard's heart and he's still defending you. If that's not love," he murmured. "He deserves better than this rubbish you're trying to give him and you know it. Come on, Lily; you know I'm right."

Her lip trembled at his words, her green eyes filled with tears. "He deserves better than me," she whispered, tears running down her cheeks. "I can't do it. He's gonna hate me."

His dark eyes gentled at her words, his anger toward her forgotten. "He loves you. Let him love you for Merlin's sake," he encouraged her. "Give the bloke a chance."

James frowned deeply as he watched the pair, taking another step toward Lily. "Will someone tell me what the hell is going on? What's Sirius going on about?" he questioned.

Sirius gripped Lily's shoulders, turning her to face James. Those two were going to talk to each other even if he had to tie them down to a chair; he knew a good sticking charm. "Tell him or I will," he stated, nudging her forward a step. "And you know I will." Part of him wanted to give them some privacy while they spoke- this was a very private topic- but he didn't trust them to get through all of it without one or both of them running off.

"Lily, tell me what? What the bloody hell is going on and why does he know before me?" James asked in frustration. He exhaled harshly, running his hand through his hair again before reaching for her hand. His expression relaxed slightly as she didn't pull away, his hazel eyes darkened with worry. "Lily, tell me what's going on please," he begged. "I know this isn't what you want, but I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

Lily choked on a sob, her shoulders shaking violently as she tried to keep control of her emotions. "You're going to hate me so much," she whispered between tears.

"No, Lil, I could never hate you; you know that," James answered gently, taking another step toward her. There was barely a foot of space between them, though he looked like he wanted to close the remaining distance. "I love you."

Sirius thought James's declaration would make Lily feel better but she just cried harder at his words, her normally pale cheeks now bright red. "Ja-James. James, I'm pr-pregnant," she stuttered between sobs. "I'm pregnant."

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How will James take the news? Reviews please!


	6. Chapter 6

Hello readers! Hope you're all enjoying the story. I originally planned on making this story only four or five chapters long, but here I am on chapter 6 and I've still got so many ideas that I want to get out. Right now it's looking like this story will be ten or twelve chapters long so I hope you'll all stick around for the ride with the Marauders and Lily.

-ninjanervana

* * *

Unlike the first crash of the evening, the second clatter of food and dishes hitting the common room floor went unnoticed in the wake of Lily's announcement. Sirius could see Remus and Peter out of the corner of his eye, Remus looking as surprised as the night the Marauders had told him they knew he was a werewolf and Peter with his mouth hanging open in shock. James looked like he had been hit with a strong Confundus charm, his hazel eyes wide behind his familiar black glasses, his hand falling free from Lily's. The common room was silent except for the sound of Lily's crying, the ticking of the clock on the wall, and the crackle of the burning wood in the fireplace. _'Come on, Prongs, say something,'_ Sirius thought desperately as he watched the pair. _'Don't muck it up.'_

A minute, then two passed in silence as they all waited for James's reaction, but he seemed too stunned to speak. Another sob left Lily's lips as she turned away from him, heading toward the dormitory staircase. Sirius quickly grabbed hold of her arm, thanking Quidditch for his quick reflexes as he pulled her close. "Wait, wait, give him a minute to get himself together," he said softly as she cried, trying to pull away from his hold. "He's in shock."

Lily's sudden movement seemed to pull James from his trance, his dazed look clearing. "Oh shit, Lily," he exclaimed, crossing the distance between them and pulling her against his chest. Lily crumpled into him, her face pressed against his chest as she cried. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, supporting her body as he chanted her name softly.

Sirius exhaled loudly as James finally moved, his shoulders slumping with relief. If Lily had gotten away before James had reacted, he didn't think they'd be able to fix the damage to their relationship. _'I swear these two will be the death of me,'_ he thought dryly. He met James's eyes over Lily's shoulder, his hazel eyes filled with worry and a bit of gratitude. Sirius nodded his head in reply; they always looked out for each other.

"Are you sure, Lily?" James asked quietly, nuzzling her hair. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I di-didn't know how to tell you that I'd r-ruined everything," Lily wailed, her body shaking. "We're only seventeen; how can we h-have a baby? I didn't wa-want you to hate me."

"Are you mad? I could never hate you, Lily," he replied, rubbing her back. "It's going to be alright; we're going to figure this out."

Lily shook her head, "Everyone is ju-just going to think I'm a s-slag. My parents would b-be so ashamed of me. Oh god your parents will hate me!"

James rocked Lily gently, murmuring quietly to her. Sirius looked away from the pair; if he felt like he was intruding before, now it felt a million times stronger as he watched the intimate moment. Catching Remus and Peter's eyes, he gestured to the portrait hole, leading them out of the common room.

The silence of the empty corridor felt jarring after listening to Lily cry for so long. Peter was the first one the quiet as the portrait closed behind him. "Holy shit," he whispered, his eyes still wide with surprise. "She's pregnant. She's _pregnant_."

Sirius nodded, shoving a hand through his hair. "I don't know about you lot, but I need to smoke," he stated as he started walking to the Astronomy Tower. None of them were dressed for the cold air, but they needed something to do. He took his first deep breath as he reached the top of the tower, the breeze whipping at his jumper.

"How long have you known?" Remus asked as Sirius lit his cigarette.

He took a deep drag from his cigarette, turning his head away from the pair as he exhaled. "Two days. Found her up here crying when I came to smoke and she told me about it," he answered. "Made me swear not to tell Prongs."

Peter shook his head as he leaned against the stonewall. "How are they gonna handle this? We're not even out of school yet!"

Sirius quickly finished off his cigarette; his stress and worry making him smoke through it faster than usual. "I dunno," he admitted, finally giving voice to the worry that had plagued him since he found out about Lily's pregnancy. Sure, James had grown up a lot in the past year and Lily always had a good head on her shoulders, but honestly how prepared can two seventeen year olds be when it comes to having a baby? "But if anyone's gonna figure it out, it's those two. They've got us the three of us to help too."

Remus nodded in agreement, "They're gonna need a lot of help. We'll find a way to be useful."

The trio stood in the tower for almost twenty minutes before Sirius felt a vibration coming from his pocket. Grinding out his third cigarette beneath his foot, he pulled his mirror from his pocket. "Prongs," he greeted James as his face appeared in the mirror. "Everything alright?"

"Alright as it can be, Padfoot," James sighed softly. "You lot can come back to the common room now; Lily's fallen asleep."

Sirius nodded, "We'll be there soon then." Slipping the mirror back into his pocket, he followed behind Remus and Peter as they walked back to Gryffindor Tower, wondering what exactly they were returning to. With the way Lily had been crying, he sincerely thought they'd have to make a Calming Draught for her; for her to be asleep now seemed strange. In no time at all, they were climbing through the portrait hole, entering the quiet common room.

James sat in the armchair near the fire, Lily curled up on his lap as his arms wrapped around her protectively. He looked up as the portrait opened, a weak smile on his lips.

"How's she doing?" Remus asked worriedly, grabbing a blanket off the back of the sofa and handing it to James.

He wrapped the blanket around Lily's shoulders, brushing a strand of hair from her face affectionately. "Cried herself to sleep," he murmured. "She's scared, absolutely terrified. I am too."

"Can't blame either of you for it," Sirius said as he plopped himself onto the couch beside him. "She's been a right mess these past few days."

"And you knew. You knew she was pregnant all this time," James answered, turning his attention to Sirius.

He squirmed beneath James's gaze, his stomach tight with guilt as he swallowed hard. "She told me two nights ago when I went out for a smoke. Found her in the Astronomy Tower. She asked me not to tell you and I...I didn't think it was right for me to tell you."

James was quiet for a moment before nodding, "Thank you for looking out for her," he said sincerely, stroking Lily's hair. "Now we just need to figure out what to do. At least she doesn't want to break up with me anymore."

"What did Lily say?" Peter asked curiously.

"Between crying she said she didn't want to tell anyone, not yet. She cried for her parents, said she couldn't do this without them," James said quietly, looking down at the sleeping girl in his arms. But of course Lily would have to; the Evanses had died in a car accident at the beginning of the summer. There were no parents to comfort her, to guide her. He cleared his throat quietly before continuing. "She's not far along, six or seven weeks, she reckons; I think she wants some time to process everything. I'm still trying to process everything," he murmured, looking up at the ceiling. "Blimey, a baby. We're going to be parents. Mum's gonna skin me alive. I don't know how we're gonna do this."

"Well you've got us," Remus replied. "Lily always knew we were a package deal; we'll all look out for Lily."

James looked around at his three best friends, a look of relief and gratitude crossing his face. "Thanks, mates."

Sirius grinned, clapping him on his shoulder as he stood. "No Marauder left behind, right? Not even the honorary ones," he answered. "Come on; Lily's gonna hurt her neck sleeping like that and you look dead on your feet."

He laughed, quickly glancing down to make sure he hadn't woken Lily. "Yeah, it's been a long Christmas," James replied as he carefully stood with Lily in his arms. "What a Christmas."

Sirius nodded in agreement as he followed after his best mates and Lily to the boys dormitory. _'Can't get any crazier than it already is,'_ he thought.

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Reviews please!


	7. Chapter 7

Christmas holidays passed in a flurry of Marauder based activity with brief bouts of schoolwork thrown in. The tension between James and Lily had vanished once James knew about the pregnancy to Sirius's relief. There was still an underlying nervousness and worry between them, but it didn't look like Lily wanted to break up with James anymore, which Sirius was immensely grateful for. James was difficult before he started dating Lily; if she dumped him, he would be absolutely unbearable. Sirius didn't want to kill his best mate, but he would to keep his sanity. The couple was nervous, but Sirius could still see the slight excitement they felt. Even if they were pretty young, having a baby with the person you loved wasn't too bad of a situation.

Before they knew it, New Years had passed and students were returning back to school. Sirius was almost sad to see them return. Things had been so relaxing with just the Marauders and Lily staying in the Gryffindor Tower. He enjoyed waking up late, listening to the Marauders and Lily chat from their beds in the boys dormitory before they went down to breakfast. He loved staying up late at night with them, laughing and talking.

It was also easier to keep Lily's secret when there was no one around to hear you slip up. She still wasn't ready for anyone to know and James hadn't written his mum yet to tell her. But if there was one thing the Marauders knew how to do, it was how to keep a secret; they had some pretty big secrets themselves. Of course, that didn't mean there weren't changes when it came to them being around Lily.

* * *

Classes had been back in session for almost two weeks when Lily first commented on it.

"You know I don't need an escort to class," Lily commented as Sirius draped his arm across her shoulders as they walked through the packed corridor. She leaned against him slightly, her textbook held against her chest.

"Of course not, Lilyflower," he replied easily, nudging a group of rowdy fifth year boys out of the way before they ran into Lily. As they turned to glare at him, he shot them an equally nasty look, smirking as they hurried away. "You're the brightest witch in our year; you can out-hex anyone in our class. Maybe I just wanted to keep you company."

She snorted in disbelief. "And when James runs from Care of Magical Creatures to be outside my Ancient Runes class before I get out?"

"That bloke's been running after you since you first step foot on the Hogwarts Express in first year. I'd be more surprised if he wasn't outside of your classroom."

"And Remus walking me to the common room when he has to do rounds in the opposite direction?"

Sirius grinned, "He enjoys your company. Don't tell James or he'll murder him. He nearly had a stroke when you and Remus started prefect patrols in fifth year."

Lily raised an eyebrow, turning to face Sirius. "Peter was up early the other morning to go to breakfast with me."

"Peter's always hungry," he replied easily.

"He fell asleep at the table!" she laughed as they stopped outside of the Potions classroom. "Honestly you're all impossible. Don't think I don't know what you lot are doing."

"What could you possibly mean, Lilyflower?" Sirius asked innocently.

She rolled her eyes playfully, "You're all playing bodyguard. I know I have a...condition, but I can take care of myself."

Sirius laughed loudly, shaking his head. "Is that what we're going to call it?"

"Until I think of something better, yes," Lily replied. "I can take care of myself."

"It's not that we don't think you can, Lil," he answered seriously. "But we already told you, Marauders take care of our own. Whether you like it or not, you're our own now."

Lily's green eyes shone as she stretched up, pecking his cheek as she hugged him. "Thank you, Padfoot."

"Just make sure to make me godfather of little James, yeah?" he whispered as he hugged her back.

"Oye, making moves on my girl, Padfoot?" James called as he approached them. "Is there no honor left in the world?"

Lily laughed, turning toward him. "Maybe you shouldn't leave your girlfriend with good looking bodyguards, Potter," she teased. "I'm on to you lot."

James grinned sheepishly as they entered the classroom, taking Lily's hand in his. "There's been a few attacks against muggleborns this year; we've gotta look after you. You can never be too careful."

"You're all a bunch of softies," Lily laughed, smiling affectionately at them as class began.

* * *

After years of confrontations with Slytherins and faculty members, Sirius had developed a bit of a sixth sense for when things were going to go bad. He didn't know how, but he always got a sinking feeling before things would go south.

Potions class was nearing its end when Sirius felt as if a brick had dropped into his stomach. Looking around the classroom, everything seemed alright to him. Slughorn had wandered to the back of the room to tend to a student's smoking cauldron and Sirius was almost positive their potion shouldn't be doing that. Remus stood next to him, stirring in the last few ingredients while mumbling to himself. Peter stood two tables away, smiling shyly at the Hufflepuff girl he had been paired with. _'Atta boy,'_ he thought proudly. Turning toward Lily and James, he immediately knew why he had felt the sinking feeling and knew it was too late to stop anything. Merlin, he hated being right sometimes.

A Slytherin boy was walking behind the pair, heading to the supply closet near them. James had turned toward their table as Lily observed their potion. A quick shove from behind sent Lily stumbling toward the cauldron, her hands flailing as she tried to regain her balance. Sirius's eyes widened in horror as he watched; he knew exactly how hot that cauldron and potion was. The instructions demanded that it be brewed at a specific temperature. He also knew there was nothing to stop Lily's forward motion, nothing for her to grab onto for her to regain her balance; she was going to get burned, badly.

James's hand shot forward at Lily's startled gasp, creating a barrier between the hot cauldron and Lily's stomach. Sirius winced as he heard James's skin sizzle, his eyes still wide as James yanked Lily away from the cauldron. He knew James had to be in a lot of pain, but his best friend only had eyes for Lily.

"Are you alright? Are you alright?" he asked frantically, his hand smoothing over her stomach as he locked eyes with her.

"Oh Merlin, James, your hand," Lily gasped loudly, looking down at his injured hand. "Let me take care of it; I can-"

"Lily!" James said firmly, shaking her from her panicked muttering. "Answer me, are you okay? Did you get burned?"

Lily shook her head quickly, her hand resting lightly on his as it covered her stomach. "I'm okay, I didn't get burned," she murmured. "My stomach didn't get burned."

James's shoulders slumped with relief, his free hand cupping her cheek as he kissed her. "Thank Merlin."

Sirius felt himself sigh with relief before his anger flared up again. Everything was over in less than a minute, but he still felt as if he had lost a year on his lifespan. And someone was going to pay for it. He looked around the classroom for the Slytherin who shoved Lily, but his eyes landed on Snape instead. Snape watched Lily and James intently, a look of horror and disbelief on his face. Glancing back at the pair, he watched as they spoke quietly, James's hand still not moving from Lily's stomach. Once they ceased speaking, Lily pulled James's hand away from her stomach, holding it carefully as she healed it. Nothing had really happened to give their secret away, but Sirius couldn't help the worry he felt from Snape's scrutiny.

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Reviews please!


	8. Chapter 8

"Do you reckon Mum will send me howler if I tell her in a letter that Lily is having a baby?" James asked, looking up from the sheet of parchment he had laid before him.

Sirius laid on the bed in the Head Boy's dormitory, his attention focused on the book about motorcycles that Lily had gotten him for Christmas. Since James became Head Boy, the Marauders spent as much time in the Heads' dormitory as they did in Gryffindor Tower; they were lucky Lily had taken their presence in stride. She didn't care that they came in and out as they pleased as long as they didn't trash the place or let anyone else in.

At James's words, Sirius lowered his book, looking over at his best mate sitting at the desk. "You're only writing Mum now?" he teased.

"Not everyone has time to write back immediately, you tosser," James retorted, throwing at crumpled piece of parchment at Sirius. "We only got our letters this morning; I'm not late."

He shrugged his shoulders, grinning. When he had gotten the letter from Mrs. Potter, Sirius had immediately taken out a sheet of parchment to send a reply. He loved Mrs. Potter as if she were his mother, more than his mother really, and she always treated him like a son, made him feel welcome in the family. It meant the world to him to have a mother to write to, someone who loved him and fretted over him, someone who sent him cookies when she baked. He wasn't just an add-on in James's letter; he always received his own from her. "I think Mum sending a howler would be the least of your worries. She's likely to come here and hex you into St. Mungo's."

James winced, his brow furrowing. "That's what I'm afraid."

"At least you won't have to about Lily and the baby. Mum loves Lily and we'll take care of them," he laughed. "You can handle Mum."

"I thought you were supposed to have my back, Padfoot," he said with a dramatic sigh. "What sort of best mate are you?"

Sirius shook his head, a mischievous grin on his face."I'm not the one who knocked Lily Evans up; you would have murdered me. I'd rather take care of Little James than face Mum's wrath."

James grinned slightly, his hazel eyes twinkling with amusement. "Little James?" he chuckled. "Sure it's a boy then?"

"Call it a hunch," Sirius replied with a shrug. "Don't tell Mum in a letter; you and Lily should tell her in person. Probably before Lily looks like she's smuggling something under her cloak."

James sighed, tossing his quill onto the desk. "I don't know how we're going to tell her. She's always wanted grandkids but I don't think she'll be too pleased to be having them now. We're barely adults."

Sirius sat up, running a hand through his hair. He could see the stress that James was under as he stared at the closed room door, his expression distant. Being Head Boy and Quidditch captain was hard enough; throwing a baby into the mix was insanity. With all the fuss over the past two weeks about Lily being pregnant, he had never asked his best mate how he felt about everything. "What about you?" he asked curiously. "What do you think about the baby?"

He was quiet for a minute, taking off his glasses and wiping them on the hem of his shirt before putting them back on. "I'm scared out of my bloody mind. But I'm kinda...excited," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "I wish we were a few years older and I don't know a bloody thing about children or how to raise them or how Lily and I can make it work but Lily Evans is having my baby. She's going to be a great mum; I know it. She's having a little Potter. I can't get used to the idea. It's bloody terrifying but it's bloody amazing too."

Sirius grinned at James, "Think that basically sums up being a dad, yeah? As long as you don't want to fling yourself off the Astronomy Tower, you're doing alright."

"I can't do that. If I left my kid to be raised by you lot, they might turn into a right git," James replied seriously before grinning.

"You tosser," Sirius laughed, throwing a pillow at him.

* * *

Sirius winked at a group of fifth year Hufflepuff girls as he walked through the corridor to the Great Hall, his grin widening as he heard their giggles. It was time for lunch and he was absolutely famished after skipping class to smoke in the Astronomy Tower. The halls were packed with students hurrying to their common rooms to drop off their bags or heading to the Great Hall for lunch. But even through the sea of people, one person stood out to him, one bright head of hair.

"Lilypad," Sirius called out as he spotted the bright red hair a few feet away from him. As Lily turned toward him, he could tell that something was wrong; he had seen that expression enough times since he had been at Hogwarts. Lily's face was flushed bright red, her hands balled into fists, her jaw clenched. While she looked angry to some, the glossiness to her bright green eyes gave away her other emotion; something or someone had upset Lily Evans.

"Sirius," she answered as he came near, a fake smile plastered on her face. "How are you?"

"Where's Remus?" he questioned as he looked at her. "Thought he had class with you."

Lily nodded, "He got pulled away by that pretty sixth year prefect, Emily. I said I'd meet him in the Great Hall."

He draped his arm across her shoulder affectionately as he led her down the hall. "So what happened then? You've got a face on."

"Nothing happened," she replied innocently, not meeting his gaze.

"You're a shit liar, Lily," Sirius retorted. He led her off into one of the side corridors before tugging her into an empty classroom. "You're obviously upset."

"I am not obviously upset," Lily said irritably, crossing her arms.

Sirius shook his head as he leaned against the closed door, "I can't help you if you don't talk to me. If I don't get it out of you, one of the others will. Why not speed the process up instead of having someone ask you in the Great Hall. Are you okay? Is the…" he gestured to her stomach, "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is okay," she mumbled, biting her lip as she stared at her shoes. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at Sirius. "Severus cornered me in the hall after I left Remus."

Sirius's expression darkened at the Slytherin's name, his lips tugged into a frown. Anytime that bastard's name was mentioned, only bad news followed. "Did he hurt you? Threaten you? Merlin, we'll hang him if he even-"

"He didn't do anything," Lily assured him. "He just…he took me by surprise, that's all."

"What did he want then?"

She tugged at the cuff of her shirt, sighing. "He said that I had been acting funny. That he couldn't understand why I was dating James or why I hadn't been myself lately. He…he brought up a few days ago in potions class, when I almost got shoved into the cauldron."

"Shit," he muttered. "Does he know about your and James's third wheel?"

A soft laugh left Lily's lips, a bit of the worry leaving her green eyes. "Merlin, where do you come up with these names?" she said before growing serious. "He didn't say anything about it, but I think maybe he suspects it. He asked me why James reacted so strongly. If he figures it out, who knows how long everyone else will take?"

Sirius walked over to her, enveloping her in a tight hug. "Don't worry about that, alright? No one is going to find out about anything until you're ready," he promised her. "We'll just keep a close eye on Snape in case he keeps a close eye on you, alright?"

Lily nodded, returning his hug. "Thank you, Sirius," she murmured.

He smiled affectionately, kissing her forehead. "Come on; it's time for lunch and I'm starving to death. I think I might be hungrier than you and you're eating for two," he teased.

"Can't have you dying of starvation then, can we?" she laughed, linking arms with him as she led him from the classroom.

As Sirius looked down at Lily, taking in her relaxed expression, he decided it just might be time to have a talk with Severus.

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Reviews please!


	9. Chapter 9

So I've started yet another James/Lily fanfic; be sure to check out Care for my brother, Care for me!

* * *

As Sirius stood alone in the Potions corridor, he was seriously contemplating his sanity. He knew the Black line was filled with mad people; his father and mother were proof that insanity was alive and well in their family, not to mention all of his cousins and other relatives. Crazy pureblood elitists, the whole lot of them, and if that mind frame didn't make you insane, he wasn't sure what did. But as he waited outside a classroom in what was definitely Slytherin territory, he had to think this probably wasn't his best idea.

After speaking to Lily earlier that afternoon, he knew it would better for him to have a talk with Snape soon rather than later. While he would have preferred to have his Marauders with him, he knew that would draw unnecessary attention to them. He hadn't told them about what happened and he had a feeling Lily hadn't either. James would be on the hunt for Snape the moment he found out and Sirius doubted anyone would be able to stop him. He was protective of Lily already; now with a baby on the way, that protectiveness had increased tenfold. He'd be useless to Lily if he was locked up in Azkaban for murdering Snape. Sirius couldn't tell Remus about it; he would try to talk Sirius out of his plan, rightfully so. Peter would have Sirius's back, no doubt about it, but there was always a chance he might slip up and mention everything to James. No, he would tell them all about the situation after he handled it. Presuming he didn't get himself killed.

Once classes had ended that afternoon, Sirius headed up to the boys dormitory, grabbing the map and the invisibility cloak from its hiding place, leaving only a hastily written note, _'Borrowing. –Padfoot.'_ It was easy enough to track down Snape on the map and a stroke of good luck that he was alone in a classroom in the Potions corridor. Merlin knew what he was up to, probably messing around with the Dark Arts again, but he couldn't let the opportunity slip away; who knew when he would get a chance like this again.

As he stood outside the classroom, he shoved the cloak into his bag before opening the door and strolling inside, his wand held loosely in his hand. "Hello Snivellous," he sneered as he spotted the greasy haired bloke standing over a cauldron. Snape's head snapped up at the sound of his voice, his hand reaching for his wand, only to stop short as he saw Sirius's wand trained on him. "Might want to keep your hands where I can see them. Unless you don't want to have hands much longer," he said calmly as he closed the door. "Your choice really."

"Black," Snape spat, his eyes narrowed. "Only a coward like you would attack someone who doesn't have their wand in hand."

"Only a git like you would leave their wand out of their reach," he retorted, a smug grin on his face. He leaned back against the door, his expression relaxed, but his eyes never leaving Snape. He'd been in enough duels with Slytherins to know when they fought, they fought dirty. A small slip could land him in the hospital wing or worse. "All these years of schooling and you still haven't learned a bloody thing. Besides who said anything about attacking you." He shrugged his shoulders at Snape's skeptical look, "I've just come to have a little chat with you."

"Save your talk for someone who cares, blood traitor," Snape sneered.

Sirius tsked. "Such language," he said in mock horror. "Is that anyway to speak to a fellow classmate? Besides, what I have to say is important; if you don't listen someone might get…hurt. And wouldn't that be a horrible thing."

Snape's hands tightened into fists, his jaw clenched. "Spit out your threat, Black; I don't have time for your games."

"Right, you're so busy with your friends," Sirius replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "I'm here to warn you to stay away from Lily."

"You're the ones who should stay away from her!" Snape shouted, his face becoming red with anger. "You, Potter and the others! You've all done something to her!"

"We've done nothing to her," he snapped, rapidly losing control of his temper. He had planned to stay in control of his emotions, to threaten Snape, possibly hex him, and then leave, but that plan was quickly going up in flames. "You're the one that's hurt her, lied to her, not us. We don't hurt Lily."

Snape's hand twitched toward his wand, freezing as Sirius's gaze narrowed. "It's your fault all of that happened, yours and Potter's. It's your fault she won't speak to me."

Sirius laughed mockingly. "Remind me again who it was who called her that unforgivable word in front of the _entire_ school during fifth year? It wasn't me or James. We were prats, awful prats, but we didn't make her cry," he retorted. "We didn't humiliate her."

"It's Potter's fault that it happened. If he hadn't tied me up, I would have never said that! Lily would still be my friend."

"Don't lie to yourself, Snivellous; it's pathetic," Sirius said condescendingly. "At least be a man about your actions, instead of blaming everyone else. But what else should I expect from a slimy, spineless snake like you. Do you really think you could have been friends with Lily and your Death Eater mates? The same mates who go around harassing Lily because she's a muggleborn? You made your choice, Snape, so stop bothering Lily. She doesn't want to talk to you, she doesn't want to see you, she doesn't want to be near you."

Snape's eyes narrowed as he looked at Sirius, the black orbs shining with hatred. "Potter's done something to her; I know he has. Lily hates him, she's always hated him and he's still the same arrogant git that he's always been," he snapped. "Something's going on between them. I saw the way he reacted when Lily almost fell into the cauldron; it wasn't natural. Something else is going on."

"Only a Slytherin would think it's unnatural for a bloke to be concern when his girlfriend is nearly burnt half to death," Sirius said scornfully, not liking that Snape was fixated on the event. "Of course you wouldn't care about her; it's one of your mates that shoved her."

"I care about her!"

"No, you don't!" Sirius shouted as he finally lost his temper, sparks flying from the tip of his wand. If he had to listen to this git say he cared about Lily one more time, he was going to burn the bloody classroom down. "You don't give a rat's arse about Lily or her well-being or you would leave her alone! This is the first and last warning I'm going to give you and I am only giving it to you because of Lily. She is my sister and I have no problem hexing you into St. Mungo's to keep her safe from you. If you or your Death Eater friends come near her, I swear you will live to regret it. And you know I don't break my word."

At Sirius's words, Snape dove for his wand, quickly shooting a spell at him. Sirius's shield charm was up in the nick of time, the spell ricocheting off the shield and hitting the wall across from him. He shot a stunning spell in Snape's direction, not bothering to see whether he hit him or not before ducking out of the classroom and yanking on the invisibility cloak. He had barely covered himself when Snape came storming out of the room, looking around the seemingly empty hall for him.

Sirius exhaled softly as Snape finally went back into the classroom, muttering to himself and locking the door behind him. That talk had gone better than expected; the classroom was still in one piece and he hadn't gotten himself expelled. A smug smile lingered on his lips as he headed back to his common room. Now he just had to hope that Snape listened to him and left Lily alone. He wasn't afraid to get expelled to protect his family.

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Reviews please!


	10. Chapter 10

Here's a little fluff chapter before things get serious

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"I'm just saying I think I should be godfather," Sirius commented as he unwrapped a chocolate frog, tossing the box aside.

The Marauders and Lily sat in the Heads' common room, relaxing together after dinner. James lay on the couch, his head resting on Lily's lap, as he played with the snitch he stole in fifth year. Peter and Remus sat on the floor by the coffee table, playing Exploding Snap. Sirius sat in the chair besides James, his long legs draped over the arm of the chair while his shoulders and head dangled over the other. Personally, Sirius enjoyed spending time in the Heads' common room. Sure the Gryffindor common room was good if you were trying to find someone or flirt with girls, but the Heads' common room was better when you just wanted to spend time with your mates and not worry about someone overhearing your conversations. This conversation in particular wasn't something others should hear.

"And why do you think that, Padfoot?" James asked, an amused grin on his lips. "I think all three of you should make your case about why you should be godfather and then Lily and I will make our choice. Right, Lil?"

"I think you and Sirius are getting ahead of yourselves since I'm barely two months along," Lily replied, running her fingers through James's messy, dark hair. "But I suppose if you guys insist, there's no harm hearing his case."

"You're getting soft on us, Lily," Remus teased. "Years ago, you would have shot these two down without a second thought. Now you're humoring them."

"She's been worn down by our charm," James replied confidently.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Sure, let's go with that answer," she said sarcastically. "Alright Sirius, you have our undivided attention."

"Speak for yourself," Peter mumbled, his brow furrowed as he carefully regarded the tower of snap cards. "If I look away too long, this thing is going to explode on me, I just know it. I can listen to Padfoot babble without looking at him."

Sirius brushed off his uniform as he stood, smacking the back of Peter's head lightly. "Some friend you are; you're supposed to support me."

"Not if we're all competing to be godfather like James said," Remus replied. "Every man for themselves."

Sirius shrugged his shoulders, clearing his throat loudly as he turned to face Lily and James. He tried to keep his expression serious, but he could feel his lips twitching as he tried to restrain his smile. "I should be godfather to the little Marauder because-"

"Wait just one minute," Lily interrupted, holding up a hand. "My child will _not_ be a Marauder. Absolutely not. You lot were absolute nightmares, growing up with your pranks. My child will follow the rules and will not terrorize their professors and classmates." The boys turned toward Lily, staring at her as if she had suddenly expressed the desire to join the group of centaurs in the Forbidden Forest. "What?"

"Lily," Peter said slowly, looking over at Lily. "You're having a baby with James Potter. You realize that right?"

"I don't think even your genes would be able to cancel out the Marauder genes they'd get from James," Remus added. "Especially with James _and_ Sirius around."

"Oye, you're not helping my argument!" Sirius retorted, throwing his empty chocolate box as Remus's head.

Lily groaned, "I'll have to ban both of them from seeing the baby then."

"Hey, it's my kid too!" James laughed, looking up at her. "You can't ban me. I have rights, Lil."

"Come on, Red; who will be a more fun godfather than me?" Sirius questioned. "Remus would turn him into a bookworm-"

"And that's a bad thing?" Lily challenged.

"And Peter would make him fat with all the snacks and sweets he would sneak the kid-"

"Sod off," Peter replied, swinging a half-hearted kick at Sirius.

"Notice how he didn't disagree with me. And obviously it can't be James since he's the father; it'd be unfair if he was the father _and_ the godfather," Sirius concluded. "So it has to be me. I'm the only reasonable choice."

"Reasonable choice my arse," Peter snickered.

"He makes a good argument," James commented.

Lily laughed loudly, "He absolutely does not! All he'll teach our kid is how to get into trouble and charm a girl's hair bright pink and plant dung bombs in Flich's office when they get detention."

Sirius gasped dramatically. "I haven't done that in weeks," he said indignantly, causing the others to laugh. "Give me a little credit."

She shook her head, a smile on her lips. "I'm so _terribly_ sorry," she replied sarcastically.

He sniffed as he plopped back into the armchair dramatically. "You picked a mean one, Prongs. You sure you wanna keep her?"

James looked up at Lily, a smile spreading across his face. "Yeah, she's a good one," he replied happily. "Plus she doesn't take your bullshit."

"You know you'd never tolerate a pushover," Remus laughed. "You'd get bored. Merlin knows that's the way you are with the girls you date."

Peter nodded in agreement. "You're just mad Lily outwits you constantly."

"Am not," Sirius scoffed.

"Are too," Lily teased. "But I still love you, Sirius."

Sirius grinned broadly, sitting up on the chair. "Does that mean I get to be godfather?" he asked hopefully.

"That means you're still getting ahead of yourself with this godfather business," she replied. "But you're not out of the running; how's that?"

"Perfect," Sirius answered gleefully. "That means me and James have _months_ to wear you down."

Lily sighed dramatically, looking over at Remus and Peter. "My poor child is gonna grow up without a father and with one less uncle," she sighed in mock sadness. "Promise me you'll tell them fond stories of their Uncle Sirius before he met his unfortunate demise in a freak accident that his mother had absolutely nothing to do with?"

Remus, Peter, and Lily laughed, ignoring James and Sirius's indignant comments about needing better mates. At the very least, Sirius knew his friends would always be good for a laugh, even if it was at his expense. Peter's tower of Exploding Snap cards exploded as the laughter began to die down, setting off a new round of chuckles as they noticed Peter's singed eyebrows. He may have lost the first argument to become godfather, but he was sure he'd win the battle eventually.

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Reviews please


	11. Chapter 11

Sorry it's taken me so long to post readers! I had a bit of writer's block. But in the mean time I wrote a James/Sirius story so check it out!

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After being best friends with James for almost seven years, Sirius liked to think he knew him well. In fact, he would say he knew James better than he knew himself. With a single glance, Sirius could usually tell what was on James's mind, when he was lying, when he was troubled by something serious or if it was his usual Lily woes. He knew when James had gotten his first kiss during third year from a fellow Gryffindor, he knew when James had recently pranked Filch or the Slytherins, he knew when James was ready to give up his pranking days and grow up, even if he resisted it. It had gotten to the point where Sirius was sure there was nothing James could surprise him with; he just knew the guy that well. They were best friends after all. But if that was the case, Sirius wouldn't have a bump on the back of his head. Even he could be wrong sometimes.

The Marauders sat around in the boys' dormitory, enjoying the free time they had between their last class and dinner. Remus sat on his bed, his potions book opened in front of him as he took notes on that afternoon's lesson. Peter lay sprawled out on his bed, carefully examining the jellybeans inside his box of Bertie Bott's. James sat on the trunk at the foot of Sirius's bed, toying with the Snitch he had stolen years ago. Sirius sat in the chair by the desk, rocking onto the back legs of the chair as he watched James. Something was definitely on his mind; he only ever took the Snitch out when he was thinking about something important. The last time James had taken it out, he announced that he would stop chasing after Lily and just be her friend. Sirius also knew from experience that he wouldn't be able to force James to talk about what was on his mind; James could be a secretive bastard when he wanted to.

He turned his attention back to the Map, his eyes roaming the parchment. The Map was always good for a bit of entertainment; you never knew who you would catch together. "Angela Thompson is in the fourth floor broom closet again with Finnegan again," he commented.

"The bloke from Ravenclaw?" Peter questioned before popping another jellybean into his mouth. "Doesn't he have a girlfriend?"

"He does. But I reckon not for long if she finds out. Can't blame Finnegan though; have you seen the legs on Angela?" Sirius replied with a whistle. "I'd sell out my family for a chance with her."

Remus snorted loudly, "You'd sell out your family for a box of broken Sugar Quills."

Sirius laughed, rocking back on the chair legs again. "I'd sell them for an empty box," he agreed.

"I think I'm gonna ask Lily to marry me," James said suddenly, looking up at the three boys.

"What!" Sirius exclaimed loudly, his eyes wide. His chair tipped backwards in his shock, sending him crashing into the ground, his head smacking against the side of the desk. "Bloody hell, that hurts." He pushed himself up onto his elbows, rubbing the back of his head as he tried to process James's words. _'First a baby, now he wants to get married; what the bloody hell is wrong with Prongs,'_ he thought.

Peter choked on the jellybean he had tossed into his mouth, pounding on his chest until he dislodged it. Remus knocked over his bottle of ink, the dark liquid seeping into the leg of his trousers and his bed sheets as he stared at James in disbelief. The room was quiet at the three boys stared at James, waiting for some sort of explanation from him.

"Are you mad?" Remus finally said as the silence became unbearable.

"If I've cracked my skull open, I'm blaming you," Sirius muttered as he sat up, rubbing at the bump on the back of his head. "But I'm with Moony. You've definitely been hit with a bludger one too many times; our fault really for letting you play so much Quidditch."

"Why's that so mad about it?" James questioned.

"You just said you were going to ask Lily to marry you," Peter answered incredulously. The boys moved closer to James, forming a loose circle. "What part of that sentence isn't mad?"

James shrugged his shoulders, "I don't think any of it is mad really. Honestly mates, I've wanted to marry Lily since we were thirteen years old."

Sirius snorted, "Yeah and you told her that and she hexed you. Remember when you had green hair for a week? Bloody brilliant."

He grinned, running his hand through his hair. "Yeah I remember that. And I still wanted to marry her after that," James replied. "I don't see why not. I love her; I want to be with her forever. There's a war going on out there and who knows what's going to happen to us-"

"I would suggest you not using that as part of your proposal," Sirius said dryly. "Kills the romance. 'We're probably going to die so will you marry me?'"

"Sod off," James retorted, shoving Sirius lightly.

"Don't you think this might be a bit sudden?" Remus questioned. "You've only been dating Lily a few months. I know you've been in love with her forever, but she hasn't. You know Lily isn't the type to rush into things."

Peter nodded in agreement. "You don't want her to think you're just marrying her cause of the baby either."

James frowned slightly as he considered his friends' words.

Sirius wrapped an arm around James's shoulder; he hated seeing his friend so upset. "We're not saying you shouldn't do it. You know we've always got your back. We're saying you have to think about how you're going to go about this," Sirius explained. "We all love Lily; she's already an honorary Marauder. She's like the kid sister I never had."

"But you have to think about how she'll feel with all of this," Remus added. "It's a lot of change in a short amount of time. If you wanna marry her, marry her. We'll all be there for the wedding. But maybe wait a little while before proposing."

"Maybe wait until we've finished school. She's got enough to deal with without adding a wedding to it," Peter commented.

James nodded slowly as he sighed. "Yeah…yeah you're probably right," he said reluctantly. "I don't think I could take it if she told me no."

"Why not? She's said no to you plenty of times," Sirius laughed, trying to break the tension. "You'll just keep proposing until she says yes."

James laughed with him, elbowing him lightly. "What sort of best mate are you? You're supposed to want her to say yes the first time."

Sirius grinned, glad to see the happiness return to James's eyes. "Yes, but that would ruin the betting pool," he laughed, leaping up from his seat as James grabbed a pillow to hit him with.

"Get back here, Padfoot!" James shouted, laughing as he chased Sirius out into the common room.


	12. Chapter 12

Hello readers! Sorry it's taken so long for me to update this; I got a little sidetracked with life. I've gotta be perfectly honest with you guys, when I started this story, I never saw this chapter coming. Honestly I planned on finishing the story in five chapters or less. But sometimes your muse takes you in weird places; in my case, it was an angsty place. When I got this idea, I tried hard to fight against it, to think of something else, but then I ended up with writer's block so that didn't work out. Once I stopped fighting that, I managed to write this chapter in an hour. Maybe it wasn't the story I intended to write, but maybe it's the story that had to be written. Anyhow, without further ado, I bring you chapter 12.

-ninjanervama

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"You're impossible," Lily said, bumping Sirius's shoulder as he winked at a passing group of sixth Ravenclaw girls. The group of girls giggled as they smiled at him, hesitating for a moment before continuing down the hallway. Sirius turned his head to watch them as they walked away, his grin widening as he watched the sway of their hips. Merlin, he loved girls. _'Maybe I'll find some company for tonight,'_ he thought happily.

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked innocently as he turned back toward Lily, waiting for her inevitable retort. If there was anything he loved more than flirting with girls, it was winding Lily up.

"Stop gawking at them," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Can you walk more than ten feet without flirting with someone?" The trio made their way down the hall toward this Charms class, dodging the students who hurried past them to their own classes or were standing in groups chatting. James had run back up to Gryffindor Tower to retrieve his forgotten textbook before their class and Remus had been pulled aside by a fellow Gryffindor girl for a quick chat; they doubted he would make it to their Charms class.

"He can't," Peter commented from the other side of Sirius, grinning at Lily. "We dared him to try it back in fourth year."

Lily's jaw dropped as she looked between the pair of boys. "Are you serious?" she said incredulously.

Sirius grinned broadly, his grey eyes twinkling with amusement. "Why Lilyflower, I'm always Sirius."

She snorted loudly, shaking her head, "That joke got old in second year you know."

Sirius ran his hand through his long black hair as he shook his head. "That joke will never get old," he retorted. "That dare though, it got boring rather fast. If I'm not flirting, that means I have to pay attention in class and that's just awful."

"Merlin forbid you not drive the professors up the wall," Lily laughed. "They might actually get through a lesson without a disruption."

"Where's the fun in that?" Peter chuckled. "During the dare, Padfoot got four or five detentions and he only lasted two days."

"I've gotten worse," Sirius replied with a shrug. "What can I say; ladies keep me out of trouble."

"Unless you're getting detention for snogging in the broom closets," Lily retorted.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, kissing the top of her red hair. "Don't be jealous, Lil; you'll always be my favorite girl," Sirius answered easily. "I'll never love any girl as much as I love my kid sister." His smile softened as he felt Lily lean into his side.

"I am not your kid sister; we're the same age," she replied with a fond smile.

Sirius shrugged his shoulders, "You're shorter than me; you're my kid sister. End of discussion."

"And you're an honorary Marauder," Peter replied. "You're family."

"And what a bunch of misfits you've fallen into," he laughed loudly. "You and Moony will have to be the 'normal' ones of our group I suppose."

"I think I'm up to the task," she said dryly as she switched her books to her other arm. "I've been normal for most of my life."

"Is this the floor with the trick step?" Peter questioned as they neared the end of the hallway. "Or is that the fourth floor?"

Sirius bumped Peter's shoulder gently, "Merlin, Peter, we've been here more than six years and you can't remember where the trick step is? We've pulled you out of it loads of times."

"Be nice," Lily chastised as she swatted Sirius's chest. "It's the fourth floor, Peter."

"I'm always nice," he answered innocently. As they neared a group of Slytherins, his arm tightened around Lily's shoulder, tucking her against his side. The group grew quiet as they watched the Gryffindors walk past, their eyes never leaving the trio.

She elbowed his side, forcing him to loosen his grip. "What did I tell you about playing bodyguard?" she said quietly.

"Don't have the slightest idea," Sirius answered, his free hand slipping into his robes to grip his wand. He wasn't going to start any trouble with those slimy snakes while Lily was around, but he'd be daft not to be prepared. Despite Lily's protests, he could feel her body tense as she forced her expression to stay relaxed.

"Shall I remind you of it while I beat your head in with a Charms textbook?" Lily asked sweetly as they walked past the group of Slytherins.

"Merlin, I'm glad I'm not walking next to Lily," Peter chuckled. "She can be scary."

"Mudblood," one of the Slytherins called before the trio was out of earshot.

Sirius whipped around at the words, his wand drawn as his expression darkened. A hush fell over the hall as he pointed his wands at the four students who stood near the hall. "Who said that?" he said angrily, his gaze locked on the clump of Slytherins. The students glared back at him hatefully, their hands in their robes. "Come on, who said it? Only brave enough to throw filthy insults when our backs are turned, eh?" He barely noticed that Lily was tugging on his wand arm or that Peter stood beside him, looking just as ready to fight. All he could focus on was the angry pounding of his blood and his burning desire to hex someone into the hospital wing. He was so sick of muggleborns getting shit from the Slytherins for no reason; he had no problem with detention if he meant he could teach those blood elitist assholes a lesson.

"Padfoot," Lily hissed as she pulled at his arm again. "Let it go."

"Like hell I'm going to let it go," he retorted. "Slimy gits think they can get away with this shit."

Lily yanked on his arm again, forcing it down to his side. "I said let it go. I've got class and I'm not going to be late because you started dueling in the halls," she replied firmly. "Now let's go; the staircase is here and I don't want it to start moving before I can get on."

He kept his eyes on the Slytherins for a moment longer, waiting for Lily and Peter to walk ahead of him before following after them. "You should have let me take care of them, Lil," he grumbled, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck rise. His grip on his wand tightened; he hated having his back to the enemy.

She shook her head, glancing over her shoulder at him. "We have to be better than them," she replied.

Sirius opened his mouth to answer her, a sharp comment on the tip of his tongue when everything went wrong. When he would eventually have a moment to think about the events of the day, he would be surprised at how dramatically things could change between one heartbeat and the next.

Lily had barely lowered her foot onto the top step before she was suddenly tumbling down the staircase, her books flying free from her hands. "LILY!" Sirius shouted, his eyes wide with fear as he and Peter raced down the stairs. _'No, no, no, no,'_ he thought, his stomach tight with dread. Lily lay limp at the bottom of the staircase, her bright red hair tangled around her face. He threw himself down beside her, his knees crashing into the hard tile floor. "Lily!" he shouted in his panic. "Lily!"

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Reviews please!


	13. Chapter 13

ANGST ALERT. Readers, I must confess to you once again and say this is not the way I saw this story going at all. I'm generally a fluff type of writer, but this angst completely blindsided me. I won't blame the readers who decide to bow out on this story; this probably wasn't what you signed up for. For those of you that choose to stick it out with me, I promise this isn't pain for the sake of pain. There is a reason behind it. I think after this chapter I'll have two or three more before it ends. And for those who want to wash the angst-y taste of this chapter out of their hearts, check out my new one-shot, Firewhiskey for Butterbeer.

-ninjanervana

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Sirius sat on the hard stone floor outside of the Hospital Wing, raking his hands through his hair. His stomach twisted into knots of guilt and fear as he waited alone, the hallway empty. The trip to the Hospital Wing was a blur to him. One minute he was crouched on the ground beside Lily, begging her to open her eyes; the next moment Madam Pomfrey was levitating her onto a stretcher, guiding her through the halls quickly. She tried to send him off to class, but he refused to leave Lily alone; his tone would have normally gotten him detention, but his terrified expression must have saved him. He'd sent Peter off to find James, knowing it would better for him to find out what happened from one of his best mates than hear some random gossip in the halls. Nothing traveled faster in Hogwarts than gossip did. _'Some best mate I am; I couldn't even keep her safe,'_ he thought bitterly, smacking his head against the wall. _'One bloody job and I couldn't do it right.'_

He looked up as he heard footsteps pounding down the empty corridor, relieved to see Remus heading toward him. "What happened?" Remus panted as he skidded to a stop beside Sirius, glancing over at the closed Hospital Wing doors. The normally neat prefect looked a little rumpled; his hair was disheveled, his tie was loosened and Sirius was pretty sure there was still a bit of lipstick smudged at the edge of his lips. Normally Sirius would have teased him to no end, but he didn't have it in him to fake cheerfulness now. "A Ravenclaw boy said she was in the infirmary; I came running from Charms."

"She fell down one of the moving staircases," Sirius answered tonelessly, his hands clenched. When he spoke again, his tone took on a hard edge, his anger barely restrained. "Well that's not true. I'd bet every galleon in my cursed inheritance that one of those Slytherin bastards hit her with a tripping jinx. There was nothing for her to fall over and Evans's isn't the clumsy type."

Remus's eyes widened in shock as he sank to the ground beside Sirius. "Merlin," he breathed. "How is she? Have they said anything yet?"

Sirius shook his head. "She was knocked out still when they got her to the Hospital Wing. Pomfrey didn't send me back to class, but she wouldn't let me go in with her. I sent Peter to go find James."

He shook his head, looking down at his hands. "What about the baby?" Remus said quietly.

"I don't know," Sirius replied as quietly as he could. He knew if he tried to speak any louder, his voice would crack, betraying the anguish and fear he was trying desperately to contain. Anger he could handle any day of the week, but this pain that had settled into his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. Merlin, he would give anything to get rid of it. "I've gotta talk to Prongs before he goes running in their."

As if summoned by his words, James came barreling around the corner of the hallway, followed closely by a very exhausted Peter. His face was flushed, his glasses crooked as his backpack bounced against his back. "How's Lily? Is she alright?" James called as he spotted the pair sitting on the floor. Sirius leapt to his feet, grabbing James before he could burst into the Hospital Wing. "Padfoot, let me go! I have to get in there!"

"You can't go in there yet; Pomfrey is still looking after her," Sirius grunted as James elbowed him in the stomach. He succeeded in pulling James a few feet away from the door, aided by Remus and Peter. "I need to talk to you before you go running in there."

"It can wait," James retorted as he finally escaped Sirius's grip, turning to face him. "I have to be with Lily."

"You have to be ready for what Lily might have to tell you," he replied sharply, running his hand through his hair.

James frowned in confusion, "What the bloody hell are you going on about?"

Sirius sighed, grabbing James's arm and dragging him to an alcove further down the hall. He forced James to sit down on the bench before looking around to make sure the hall was empty. "You need to be ready for what Lily might have to tell you," he said sadly.

"And what's she going to tell me?" he replied angrily as he stood, his chest nearly pressed against Sirius's.

Nearly choking on his worry and sorrow, Sirius forced his next words out, knowing it would be better for his best mate to be prepared than be caught off guard. "She might have lost the baby," he whispered.

"What?" James said quietly, his hazel eyes wide behind his glasses.

"When Pomfrey came and got Lily…she was bleeding, mate. I saw it on the floor. And I don't know a lot about pregnancies and babies, but I don't think it's a good sign," Sirius replied softly. "I didn't want you rushing in there to get blindsided by this."

James sank onto the bench, his face pale as his strength left him. "Oh Merlin," he gasped as his eyes filled with tears. "Shit, she can't-we can't-"

Sirius sat down beside him, wrapping his arm around James's shoulder. "Maybe I'm wrong; Merlin, I hope and pray that I'm wrong. But I don't know. Bloody hell, I'm scared and I can't imagine how you two are feeling."

"Prongs! Padfoot!" Remus called down the hall. "Get over here! Pomfrey is letting us in."

James shot to his feet, running back down the hall to the Hospital Wing as Sirius followed after him. The four boys entered the Hospital Wing together, walking over to the bed where Lily sat, listening to Madam Pomfrey. _'Oh god,'_ Sirius thought as he took in Lily's pale face, her blank expression. As she looked over at the boys, Lily's lips quivered for a moment before she regained control over her blank look. _'Oh Merlin, no.'_

Madam Pomfrey turned to the boys, her stern expression softening as her eyes landed on James. "You lot are going to be responsible for looking after Ms. Evans, alright?" she ordered. "I don't want her going to class today or tomorrow; I've already informed the professors. She is to rest and not be harassed by anyone, including yourselves. Is that understood?"

Her words were followed by lots of head as Lily stood, grabbing her backpack. "Lily?" James said cautiously as she approached them, her blank expression still in place. He took her backpack from her before slipping her hand into his.

"I'm tired," Lily stated quietly, her eyes locked on James's. "I'm heading back to the Head's dorms. Are you four coming?"

"Do you want us to come?" Remus asked gently. He nodded as she did, "Then we're coming."

The trip up to the Head's dorms was silent, the halls empty as all the students were in class. Sirius couldn't get Lily's blank expression out of his mind, couldn't keep the gnawing fear and guilt from settling into his chest. The five of them filed into the common room as the portrait hole opened to them.

"Lily, please talk to me," James pleaded as she walked across the common room, her hand still in his. He cleared his throat, "Please Lily. I need you to talk to me."

She turned toward him, her bright green eyes shining with tears. "James," she sobbed, her hand clapping over her mouth as tears began rolling down her cheeks.

Sirius was certain he could hear all five hearts in the room break at her tone, his own eyes filling with unbidden tears. _'Oh Merlin, no,'_ he thought fearfully. _'Please no.'_

"James, I l-lost the baby," Lily cried, her body shaking as she leaned into James, his arms wrapping around her tightly. "I lost it."

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Reviews please!


	14. Chapter 14

For my readers who have expressed some concern, I just want you to know: I did not kill Harry Potter. Lily and James's baby would have been his older sibling in my little AU. I mean, come on guys, if Voldemort couldn't kill him, what chance do I stand?

-ninjanervana

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Sirius took a drink from the bottle of firewhiskey Remus offered him, his eyes closing as the liquid burned its way down his throat. He welcomed the sting of the alcohol; he welcomed any feeling beside the crushing ache in his chest. The Heads' common room was silent except for the wood crackling in the fireplace, the sloshing of the firewhiskey in its bottle, and the steady breathing of the five students within it. The sun had set hours ago, darkening the common room considerably. Sirius couldn't help thinking bitterly that the dark atmosphere matched their dark moods.

He couldn't remember the last time there had been such a god-awful day; it almost seemed like a dream, a nightmare. There was no way the events of the day could have occurred but they did. Lily's anguished sobs as she clung to James, mourning the loss of their baby, blaming herself for what happened. James's hushed consoling as tears ran down his face, assuring her that it wasn't her fault, that she shouldn't blame herself, that he loved her and they would be alright. That they weren't ready for a baby, they wouldn't be able to care for a baby as well as they would want to, to give their child the life they deserved. That one day, one day, one day, they would have a family of their own: a home with a huge yard, a dog, maybe a cat, and enough kids to start their own Quidditch team. His last comment startled a watery laugh from Lily as she asked who exactly was going to give birth to all of those kids. A small smile touched her lips briefly before her expression crumbled again, her face pressed to James's chest as she resumed her crying.

Sirius would be lying if he said he didn't shed a few tears watching two of his closest friends suffer. Even though they had only known about the baby for a few short weeks, the idea of a little Marauder being added to their group had grown on them, snuck into the little spaces between the things they loved and made itself at home. James's and Lily's hearts were breaking and it was killing him inside. He wanted nothing more than to string those Slytherin bastards up to the Whomping Willow and leave them to the tree's mercy. The only thing holding him back was Lily's and James's reactions. Even as devastated as they were, Sirius had a feeling they wouldn't approve of multiple homicides; they were too good for that and would definitely not visit him in Azkaban.

He, Remus, and Peter had attempted to leave the Heads' common room to give the pair privacy, but Lily insisted that they stay; they were helpless to refuse her. The group would do anything they could to comfort the heartbroken red-head. They had snuck out for a few minutes to round up some food and grab a bottle of firewhiskey from Sirius's trunk; he had a feeling they would all need it. The food had been picked at half-heartedly as their hunger came and went, a first for the teenage boys, and Lily could only be coaxed into drinking a cup of tea before she fell asleep on James, exhausted from an overly emotional day.

Lily was still curled up on James's lap as she slept, the pair squeezed into an armchair. James's cheek rested atop her head, his eyes focused on the fireplace as he held her tightly, as if she would disappear. Peter was sprawled out in front of the fireplace, having fallen asleep there an hour before. Remus sat on the couch behind him, a book in his hand. He had opened the book half an hour ago and hadn't turned the page since. Sirius sat on the floor between the couch Remus occupied and the armchair Lily and James sat in, his back leaning against the arm of James's chair as he stared at the fire.

"Prongs," Sirius said softly, holding out the bottle of firewhiskey toward him.

James lifted his head slowly, looking over at him. His hazel eyes were dull, the ever-present spark of mischief and amusement extinguished. Sirius felt a moment of panic as he watched his best friend, wondering if James would ever recover from this; he didn't know how anyone could recover from this. "I'm alright, mate," he murmured as he shifted his grip on Lily. "Thanks."

"You two should go up to bed," he suggested gently, stretching his long legs out in front of him. "You're not gonna be able to move in the morning if you sleep there. The three of us will sleep down here."

He shook his head, brushing his lips against Lily's hair. "I don't wanna move Lily too much and wake her. She needs to sleep," he replied quietly. "You heard Pomfrey."

"Lay out on the couch then," Remus said as he stood up from his seat, closing his book. "Padfoot is right; we'll all be sleeping here anyway. Might as well get comfortable."

James looked between the two before nodding, carefully standing with Lily in his arms. He shuffled over to the couch, laying Lily down before curling his body around her protectively. He was quiet for a moment, his hand rubbing Lily's back. "I don't know what to do," he admitted quietly, a tortured look on his face as he looked at two of his best friends. "I don't know how to make this better for Lily, how to fix this."

Sirius's heart broke for his best friend. James had always been there for him, every day over the past seven years; even when Sirius was sure he didn't deserve it, James never left his side. Now when James needed him the most, he was helpless to do anything to make it better and it frustrated him to the point of madness. "I don't think there's a way to fix this," he said finally, wishing he had better advice. His grey eyes were filled with sorrow as they met hazel ones. "You two lost a baby; there's nothing that can fix this. You just have to keep fighting. Lily's a tough bird; she's gonna hurt for a long time, but she's gonna get past this one day. You too mate."

"You think so?" James asked, his voice breaking as he closed his eyes.

"Yes," Remus said firmly as he sat down beside Sirius. "One day, it'll get better. Until then, you and Lily have us to depend on. You know we love Lily like a sister. We'll do anything to make her happy again."

Sirius squeezed James's shoulder lightly. "You watch over Lily and we'll look out for both of you," he promised. "It'll be okay."

James nodded, his eyes squeezed shut as he pressed his face against Lily's hair. "Thanks," he choked out.

Sirius stood silently, helping Remus transform a few of the couches into beds and blankets. Together they hefted Peter onto the one of the beds before laying down on their own. He stared up at the ceiling, watching the shadows dance across it as his eyes grew heavy with exhaustion. _'Tomorrow will be better,'_ he thought sleepily. _'It has to be.'_

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	15. Chapter 15

Sirius yawned as he walked out of the trophy room, running a hand through his shaggy hair. The long hair grazed the tip of his shirt collar; he was long overdue for a haircut. He initially grew it out to annoy the teachers and his parents a bit, but now he was fond of the look. Besides, the girls liked it and that's what was important.

"Detention again, Black?" Peeves cackled as he floated through the air above him, a wide grin spread across his face. "What trouble you are, almost two months of detention."

"Wouldn't be a Marauder if I didn't cause a little trouble now and then, would I?" he replied easily. Of course he had been in more than a little trouble lately. Detention twice a day for six and a half weeks had to be a Hogwarts record; it was certainly a personal best for him. Sirius had no complaints; he would quite easily sit through all of his detentions again.

As much as Sirius tried to convince himself that Lily and James wouldn't want him to go after the Slytherins that made Lily lose her baby, that hurting them wouldn't bring back what they lost, he couldn't let go of the white hot kernel of fury that had buried itself into his heart and demanded revenge. No matter the consequences, he wouldn't let anyone get away with harming his family. If he had to wait years to do it, he was willing to do it. But Sirius didn't have that much patience.

Things in the castle were getting worse every day. The war hadn't reached the stonewalls, but it could be felt everywhere, from the black letters that arrived from the Ministry every day to the students that left to go spend time with their families to the duels that broke out almost every day between classes. Tensions were running especially high between the Gryffindors and Slytherins. There was always a rivalry between the two houses, but things had gotten worse with every passing week. There wasn't an hour that went by without an insult muttered between passing groups: "mudblood," "blood traitor," "elitist arsehole." The muggleborn witches and wizards suffered the brunt of the abuse from the Slytherins as they were specifically targeted. Battle lines had been drawn and no one was going to back down. Students often moved throughout the castle in groups to protect each other and any younger students they saw in need. Even Peter, not the bravest or the cockiest of the Marauders, had threatened to hex a Slytherin into the hospital wing for bullying a second year student.

"Dueling with snakes is naughty naughty, Black," Peeves answered as he continued down the hall. "Pureblood, muggle blood, it's all red when we're dead," the poltergeist sang as he vanished down the hall.

"Not worse than what they do," Sirius muttered to himself as he made his way up the stairs toward the Heads' dormitory. There was no way Sirius could be certain which of the four Slytherins had tripped Lily and made her fall down the stairs; the only reasonable solution he could think of was to put them all in the hospital wing for a few days, one by one. It might take him a little bit of time to get to them without getting himself expelled from Hogwarts, but he was set on his plan.

It wasn't difficult to get into a duel with them; they were known for bullying muggleborns and had no problem fighting with "blood traitors". More than once he had found the Slytherins hexing one of the younger, more helpless students. He doubted the Slytherins knew his true reason for dueling with them; he doubted they even remembered tripping Lily, but it wasn't something he could ever forget. Getting revenge for Lily and James was his number one priority; protecting the muggleborns was just an added bonus. It was most likely the pleas of the students that he protected that kept him from more detentions or punishments. Getting into four vicious duels within four weeks, duels that sent rival students into the hospital wing for a few days, was definitely cause for severe punishment. But hearing the younger students' pleas for leniency, that Sirius had protected them from harm, softened the professors' disposition toward him. He could have easily been given detention until the end of the year; the eighty detentions he was given was a walk in the park.

Sirius had thought after he sent the last Slytherin to the hospital wing that he would feel some measure of relief, that the ache in his chest would go away, but it still lingered on. His need for revenge had been temporarily sated, but the guilt and sadness would not leave him. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised; if James and Lily weren't healing from their loss, how could he expect to feel better while his best friends were miserable.

The first week after Lily lost the baby was the worst. She barely slept at night and refused to eat most meals; when she would eat, it would be a few scarce bites before the food was pushed away. James was driven to the brink of madness watching her waste away; no one could blame Lily for suffering under the weight of her grief, but they were all terrified they would lose her too. She didn't smile, didn't laugh; her green eyes lost their spark. Even Snape had cornered him one afternoon to ask him what was wrong with Lily. She was sad, depressed; so was James, though he tried desperately to put on a brave face for Lily. But the Marauders would not give up on them; they would never leave a Marauder behind.

Little by little, the Marauders forced the couple to go through the motions of the day: to eat, attend class, do homework, go on their rounds, study for NEWTS, go to sleep. It was slow going at first, an uphill battle that they refused to give up on. And slowly things began to change. It began with little things. Two weeks ago, Lily had woken up on her own and dressed for classes; they had gotten used to James having to force her out of bed every morning with barely enough time for them to eat a hasty breakfast. To see her up and waiting for them was a welcome surprise. Then a week after that, she made it down to the Great Hall for breakfast alone, greeting them with a small smile and a quiet good morning. It was nothing like her usual smile, but it was a start. The boys had been so surprised that they had stared back at her for a moment before returning her greeting. They tried not to stare at her that morning, but Sirius couldn't help noticing that Lily ate nearly an entire plate of food. James looked like he was ready to burst from happiness, a bit of the haunted look he wore leeching away.

But the best sign of recovery was that morning. The five of them had sat at the table for breakfast, chatting about the classes they had that day. Sirius couldn't remember what joke he had made at Peter's expense, but he could remember the laughter that bubbled free from Lily's throat. He had nearly snapped his neck turning toward her so quickly. Her laughter had only lasted a moment or two, but in that instance, her green eyes sparkled again with happiness. The four boys stared at her with wide eyes, their own grins spreading on their face. James was the first one to react, cupping her face in his hands as he kissed her soundly. It was slow progress, but it was progress all the same, proof that she and James would heal eventually. And Sirius couldn't ask for more for his best friends.

Giving the password, Sirius stepped into the Heads' common room. "Look who's finally shown up," James called from his seat on the couch as the portrait swung open. Remus, Peter, and Lily looked over at him, calling out their greetings.

"Do you know how many bloody trophies there are in that room?" Sirius groaned dramatically as he sat on the couch beside Remus. "I never thought I would finish."

"That'll teach you to go around hexing Slytherins," Lily replied as she leaned into James's side.

Sirius snorted, "I'll stop hexing them when they stop hexing the muggleborns."

"I'll drink to that," Remus agreed, raising the cup of tea he had been drinking. "They had it coming."

Lily rolled her eyes, "Do you want help with the Potions homework due tomorrow, Sirius? I still have my stuff out."

"Oh thank Merlin. I thought I was going to have to steal Moony's homework in the morning," Sirius replied with a grin.

"Git," Remus laughed, shoving him gently.

Lily laughed softly, moving to sit by the coffee table. "Come on then, I don't have all night for you boys."

"We all know that's not true, Lil," James teased, kissing her cheek. "You love us."

Lily smiled up at James, her hand reaching for his. "Yes, I suppose I do."

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Reviews please.


	16. Chapter 16

Well readers, it's been a long and winding road, sometimes a confusing, angst ridden road, but here we are at the end of our story. I want to thank everyone who stuck around for this entire thing. I know this may not have been the story you planned on reading, it certainly wasn't the one I intended to write, but surprises are good sometimes right?

Please be sure to check out my other Marauders stories: Saturday Morning, Migraine Pain, Wedding Crashers, Light in the Rain, Firewhiskey for Butterbeer, and the soon to be completed, Care for my brothers, care for me.

Until next time readers,

ninjanervana

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Christmas 1979

"Late like always, huh Padfoot?" James laughed as he greeted Sirius, engulfing him in a tight hug. "You're the last to show up."

Sirius laughed as he returned the hug, patting his back as he pulled away. He unfastened his cloak, shaking off the stray snowflakes before hanging it up on the coat rack beside the front door. "Not like you can start the party without me," he replied with a broad grin. "Happy Christmas, Prongs."

"Happy Christmas," James echoed, shutting the front door. "Everyone's waiting; Lily was ready to start lunch without you."

"Lily loves me too much to do that," Sirius answered easily as he made his way through the Potters' modest cottage. The house was decorated for Christmas-Sirius would say over-decorated, there wasn't a bare surface in the house, but he suspected that was more James's doing than Lily's- and it smelled like roasted ham. "And she knows I would never miss a chance to eat her food. I can't cook worth a rat's arse."

The pair walked into the dining room, finding Lily, Remus, and Peter seated at the round table. The table was nearly overflowing with food, reminding him of the Christmas feasts at Hogwarts. He wasn't too shocked by the comparison; there were always two places that felt like home to him: Hogwarts and the Potters'. When they were still in school, it was James's parents that made him feel at home; now it was his best mate and his wife. The world might be going to shit, but at least inside the Potters' cottage, things seemed relatively sane.

"At last, Sirius graces us with his presence," Lily said sarcastically, a smile teasing the edge of her lips. "I thought we would all starve waiting for you to show up."

"If the lads didn't starve after seven years at Hogwarts with me, I'm sure you can survive waiting a few minutes for your Christmas lunch," Sirius retorted, kissing her cheek lightly before sitting beside Remus. "Besides, you can't start without your favorite Marauder."

"Oye, she married her favorite Marauder," James laughed as he settled himself into the chair next to Lily, draping his arm around his shoulders. "You can be the second favorite."

Sirius shook his head in amusement, "Whatever you need to tell yourself to sleep well at night, mate."

"If you two are done competing for the most egotistical award, maybe James could carve the ham and we can all _finally_ have lunch," Lily interrupted.

"Here, here," Peter toasted, raising his glass as he and Remus laughed.

James chuckled as he stood, grabbing the knife and pulling the ham closer. "Alright lads, prepare yourself for the best Christmas ham you've ever had that was not cooked by a house elf."

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The fire burned brightly in the fireplace as the group laid around the living room. They were all stuffed from the Christmas lunch a few hours earlier; they could do little more than lay on the couches and floor while they reminisced about their days at Hogwarts. The war was getting worse and worse every day; muggles and magical folk alike were being murdered by the hundreds with little that could be done to stop it. Every day they all went out and fought, risked their lives to try and make the world a better place, but so many days it felt like a lost cause. Christmas together was just what they needed to boost their spirits, a little moment of happiness protected from the raging war outside the safety of the cottage. They might all die tomorrow, but at least they had today and they had each other. That was all Sirius could ask for.

"Pass the firewhiskey, Padfoot," Remus called from his spot on the armchair, his hand stretched toward Sirius.

"If we get trashed, we'll end up splinching ourselves apparting," Sirius commented, taking another drink from the bottle before handing it over. They had already finished two bottles and were quickly making their way through the third.

Peter shuddered at his words, his brow wrinkling. "I don't want to get splinched again. I've lost my fingernails more time than I can count."

"No one said you have to drink all the firewhiskey you brought," Lily commented, laying her feet across James's lap as she leaned into his side. "I still can't believe that all three of you brought a bottle."

Remus laughed as he took a quick swig of firewhiskey, passing the bottle to Peter. "Well Christmas gifts are a bit hard to come by right now," he answered. "And firewhiskey always goes over well."

"Suppose it wouldn't be Christmas without a bit of firewhiskey," James replied. "We've been sneaking the stuff since fourth year."

"Bunch of delinquents," Lily teased. "Anyway, don't worry about splinching yourself; you can all spend the night here."

Sirius sighed in relief, settling himself more comfortably into his seat. "Thank Merlin; I'm far too relaxed to move."

"It'll be like when we used to sleep in the Heads' common room," Remus chuckled. "Suppose somethings never change. Thanks, Lily."

"Want some Lily?" Peter questioned, holding the firewhiskey bottle out to her.

She shook her head, "No, thanks. I'm alright."

"Come on, Head Girl; have a little fun," Sirius replied. "It's not like McGonagall is going to send us to bed or give us detention for drinking on school grounds. We're adults now."

"Some of us are," Remus snorted. "I'm not sure about you."

"Reckon we ought to tell them now?" James asked Lily. "Won't be able to keep it a secret for much longer."

Sirius sat up straight at his words. "Are you two keeping secrets from us? Marauders don't keep secrets from each other."

"No, but married couples do," Lily retorted, laughing as Sirius stuck his tongue out at her. "Might as well, James. That way Padfoot will stop pestering me and they won't be cross anyone else found out before them."

At her words, Lily drew the undivided attention of the other three Marauders. "What's going on?" Remus asked worriedly. "Everything alright?"

James nodded quickly, a broad grin spreading across his face. "Yes, yes; everything's alright. Everything's great actually."

"James and I decided it's time to add another person to our little family," Lily replied. "Another Marauder."

The room fell silent as the three Marauders stared at her, their eyes wide. "D-do you mean what I think you mean?" Sirius asked, a smile spreading across his face.

"I'm pregnant," she replied excitedly, her green eyes shining with happiness.

Her announcement was greeted with cheers of happiness and surprise as the three boys jumped up to congratulate the pair. Another bottle of firewhiskey was brought out as the boys refilled their glasses, toasting to Lily's pregnancy.

As the group finally settled back into their seats, James decided to drop the second announcement of the evening. "You'll be godfather, won't you, Sirius?" James said casually.

Sirius choked on his sip of firewhiskey, pounding on his chest as he coughed. "What?" he rasped. "Are you serious?"

"No, you're serious," Lily snorted, cracking a grin as Sirius glared at her. "We're serious, Padfoot. There's no one else that we'd want to be godfather for our child."

"Moony and Wormtail can have the next two," James replied easily, causing Lily to laugh. "What do you say, Padfoot? Be godfather?"

His eyes were still wide with surprise as he nodded vigorously. "Yeah," Sirius replied, a broad grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, I'd be honored to be godfather.

"How's that for a Christmas present?" Lily laughed. "You look like you've been hit with a Confundus spell."

"Wait and see, Lilypad. This time next year, I'll be winning the favorite uncle award for the best Christmas gifts," Sirius said confidently. The world might be going to hell outside, but within the Potters' cottage, a bit of happiness could be found with the growing family bonded by love and friendship.

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